Unforeseen
by Rylarei
Summary: A normal day, a normal evening. Everything changes when a mysterious cloaked man attacks her and she delves into his mind. Ino-centric time travel fic. Slight AU.


Unforeseen

 _Rylarei_

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Chapter One

 _A Place in Memory_

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A soft sigh echoed through the dainty shop. Sunlight streamed in through the windows, the sweet smell of flora permeating through the room. The air was still yet comfortable as a woman lazed at the counter, perusing a worn down book. It was a shade of midnight, with tiny specks of golden stars littered at the cover, the word ' _Always'_ engraved in fancy script at the spine. The pages were yellow and frayed with age. Sniffles broke the stillness, then a cough, then a groan. The woman stood languidly to stretch her terse muscles. The sun shone on her hair, making it look like liquefied gold. It fell elegantly around her face and back, framing her perfectly. Cerulean eyes scanned the tiny store, taking everything into account. It was time to close up.

She walked towards the window overlooking the village. On it was a little _open_ sign, hand written on a piece of white wood. She flipped it over, revealing the word _closed._ It was only six in the evening, barely the time shops around the Leaf closed, but she was a warrior. The chimes of the bell signified her leaving the store.

All around her, the street was bustling with energy; children ran home from school, adults browsed and dined, and ninja walked with their friends, most likely heading to a restaurant or bar of some sort. The night was beginning. She grinned and headed towards the forest, where her favorite training ground was. She absentmindedly twirled a strand of blonde hair with her index finger, creating the perfect image of a spacey blonde beauty. What a life she had. She was constantly being underestimated and passed off as some vain little thing with very little to offer. She rolled her shoulders, starting her preliminary stretches as she neared the woods.

Unbeknownst to the girl, a shadow had loomed over her figure as she stretched out her legs. With a scream, she was hauled off into the brush. Her arms shot out and grabbed her captor's head. Using her lithe form, she made quick work of incapacitating her would-be kidnapper. How had he even snuck up on her? She was a sensor, sneaking up on her would take nothing short of the best shinobi out there. She eyed the cloaked man wearily. What could anyone want with her, to send someone like this?

With a start, she narrowly missed the kunai that shot out of the figure's hand. When had he moved? Things were getting a little too unnerving for her, so she decided to make sure the man really _was_ incapacitated. With a grunt, she connected her Mind Disturbance Jutsu with the prone figure on the ground. She peered at her victim. He was knocked out cold, crystal blue eyes still open and gazing out into the world. What a creepy sight.

"Who are you?" she muttered as she placed her hand on his forehead. Although, upon closer inspection, the face was very feminine and familiar. She entered his mind.

Nothing could have prepared her for what she saw. It was…her. She stood flabbergasted as another version of her danced and sang around the mindscape. What was going on here? Then, the clone stopped all activity and turned to stare at her. A smile grazed the other woman's lips, before she seemed to whisper something.

" _Azaleas_ ," she sang.

And then the world spun and Ino was back in the land of the living. Except, something felt off about this place. The man was gone, and it was morning now. There was no way she was in there for that long. She gazed around wearily. The sun was beating down on her, creating heat induced sweat to form at her brow. She could hear animals scurrying around, going about their usual daily activities. She was still in Konoha, of that she was sure.

She stood. Oh. A quick inspection of herself showed her that she had grown shorter and less developed since last night. She clenched her jaw. This could be a genjutsu, she reminded herself. She needed to stay on high alert just in case it was a trap.

The walk back was excruciating, in the sense that everything seemed to be out of place. Or perhaps it was she who was out of place in this strange Konoha that she had found herself in. She was slowly beginning to doubt that this was a genjustu, for no one could create an illusion this elaborate. The rusted wrought iron fence of her home wasn't beat down anymore. It was silver and shining in the sunlight. The garden that she had been too busy to mind was flowering and full of life. This was not her home. She realized as soon as a couple came out of the door with a small bundle in the woman's arms. She didn't live here, at least not _yet_.

There, she admitted it. The growing sense of foreboding was eating at her insides now, slowly pushing her off into a sense of hysteria. There was no way, she thought, no _way_ this was real. It was just a dream, a hyper realistic dream that she was so prone to having. She wasn't actually in the past.

Panic was threatening to take hold, her breathing coming up in pants. She decided to head up to the Hokage tower and ask for some help there. They might think her mad, she realized, but she had no other option. She could live as a civilian, or a rogue nin, but she loved her village, loved her work, too much to do that.

She needed answers.

Everyone continued on with their daily lives, oblivious to the inner turmoil within the blonde kunoichi. Deep coils of fear swirled in her stomach with every step she took. The village was the same, yet so vastly different. Things looked newer, and old shops that had been brought down were still standing in all their pride and glory. But what truly sent a chill down her spine was the Hokage monument. Tsunade's ever condescending gaze was missing, the Fourth's face seemingly new.

She stood before the foreboding building. Who would she meet? Sarutobi or Minato?

* * *

The hokage office was Spartan at best. The room was bare, with only a desk space and a small bookshelf. There were no plants, no chairs—nothing interesting in the office at all. The Hokage stood with his back to the door, looking out at the village. He had spotted the young blonde heading towards the tower. He saw how disoriented she seemed, radiating fear of the unknown with her countenance.

She was an interesting little girl. She wore clothes that were far too mature for a girl her age. It revealed areas that were barely even there yet, and made him wonder who the girl's mother was. From her appearance she seemed like a Yamanaka. Although, he thought, she might pass as a Namikaze.

A few minutes later, a knock on the door interrupted his musings. He turned just as the blonde came in. She would grow up to be a heartbreaker, he could tell as he smiled at her.

"What brings you to my office?" he asked. He eyed her hitai-ate. It was wrapped around her right leg, but it seemed old and battered. Like she'd had it for a while. This made him pause. She couldn't have been older than thirteen.

"I'm lost," she whispered, voice quivering like a leaf in the breeze. Then she looked up at him, eyes as clear as the morning sky. But there was despair within them, a deep seated agony. Those weren't the eyes of a mere thirteen year old. "I don't know how to explain this to you, Hokage-sama," she paused. "I'm not…from this time."

He took her in fully. Her inappropriate way of dress, her wise eyes, her awareness of her surroundings. He could tell she knew exactly where his ANBU were situated by the way she angled her body, the way her eyes roamed over the room, taking in everything. "Then you have a lot of explaining to do," was what came out of his mouth.

Ino lay awake in the room that was assigned to her. They needed a cover for her, and this was the best solution they could think of? Although, she mused, this was better than trying to pass off as a normal girl just coming into her teens. She sat up and looked around.

The space was dark and lonely. No natural light was able to enter, as there were no windows. She was deep within the dungeons, where Konoha kept its deepest secrets. Apparently she was one of them now. She huffed. They could have at least given her better accommodations. She was a Konoha nin, not some spy with an elaborate plan.

She paced about the cell-like room. The door was unlocked, though she knew better than to try to leave in her current predicament. The hokage was a nice man, but he was wary of her. As he should be, really, but she couldn't help but feel a little vexed. They should just get it over with and interrogate her.

The door opened to reveal a blonde with blue eyes. She tilted her head at him, wondering who he was. Probably a Yamanaka, really, but she didn't recognize him.

"I am Yamanaka Daiso," he introduced. "I was sent to question you."

She smiled at him. "As long as it doesn't involve torture, I'll do anything you ask." His mouth was pressed in a thin frown. He obviously wasn't impressed with her.

"Please state your full name," he said in a monotone. He already had a scroll and brush in hand, ready to write down their conversation.

"Yamanaka Ino," she said easily. He shifted a bit at her last name, shooting her a disdainful glance. She shrugged it off.

"Your village?" he queried.

"Konoha."

"Rank?"

"Jonin."

"Who are your parents?"

Ino paused. Would she jinx it, she wondered, if she told this man who her parents were. With a sigh she replied, "Yamanaka Inoichi and Yamanaka Kaname."

Daiso hurriedly wrote down the information with an even deeper frown on his face. He seemed to be fighting a question, wondering whether or not he should ask it or not. Instead, he asked, "How old are you?"

"Twenty four," she said. It was odd, going back to being thirteen. She had gotten used to her body, accepted and learned everything about it. Would she have to relearn herself again?

The interrogation continued on, the questions becoming more and more geared towards her loyalties. He was testing her, she knew. She also knew that he knew she was hiding something. It was the answer to the question he had been itching to ask ever since she had uttered the name Inoichi.

When he finally deems the questioning over, he stands abruptly. His walk was brisk and shaky. Before he leaves he says, "Inoichi is my son."

Her gaze is sharp as she stared at his back. He wants to ask, she knew; wants to know what becomes of him in this future of hers. She keeps her mouth firmly shut, for she also knew that telling him could change so much, if time worked as she thought it did. He sighs and closes the door, and she heard muffled footsteps down the corridor.

Would they trust her now? Or would she be stuck down in, interrogated and used for her foreknowledge. She'd read enough novels to know how horribly wrong things could go for her. But this was her village, her home. There was no way she would leave, no way she could.

Time passed as minutes bled into hours. She woke up with a sore back and a migraine. The bed was hard and the blanket was scratchy. She grumbled and stretched.

The door opened once again, this time to reveal a man in an ANBU mask. She scrutinized the ANBU. He seemed familiar, but she couldn't place his identity. The dog mask was cold and uninviting as he stood there, unmoving.

"The hokage wishes for your presence," was all he said before he started to leave. She scurried after him, her hair and clothes in a disarray. She tried to make herself presentable, but gave up with a grunt.

Dog boy knocked on the door and waited for the command to enter. He was short, for a man. Unless he was a teen, though she doubted it.

" _Enter._ "

The mahogany doors open to reveal the imposing figure of Namikaze Minato. He smiled warmly at her. From here, she could already tell why he was so beloved by the people of Konoha.

"Your situation is," he paused, searching for a proper word. "Unique," he decided. "I've already had the research team look into how this could be possible."

"Do you think I can go back?" she interrupted. He gave her a forlorn look.

"I doubt we can ever recreate the jutsu that brought you here," he said. "Not when we do not know how it was performed." She clenched her jaw. "For now," he started. "You will be introduced as a new member of the Namikaze clan."

"Namikaze clan?" she asked. Why not put her with the Yamanaka's?

"We cannot easily pass you off as a true member of the Yamanaka's. Many people would question why you are only being outed now, and would create too much of a stigma for the clan," he explained. "Besides, it would be inconvenient if another Ino were to be born in the future."

"I understand, Hokage-sama," she acquiesced.

"We will say that I adopted you into the family," he continued. "And that you're an orphan from Iwa."

It wasn't farfetched. Her looks could fit in with Iwa, which also had quite the collection of blondes. She frowned slightly. "What about my rank?" she inquired.

"You will have to retake your genin exams," he answered. "Since there are no records of you, and I would rather not have to falsify them in case someone decides to do some snooping, it's the safest way."

"And my name?"

"You will be known as Namikaze Ino." He glanced at the ANBU that had not moved from her position. "You may remove your mask," he addressed.

The mask and cloak fell, revealing to her the visage of none other than Hatake Kakashi. Now she knew why he seemed so familiar to her.

"Kakashi will be training you," he stated. "There is a lot of weight that comes from the Namikaze name. It comes with enemies, but it also comes with protection. It's the most protection I can offer you; it will ensure that you are tied firmly into Konoha."

She nodded her assent. She would have never thought that she would become the surrogate daughter of the Fourth himself.

 _END_

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Thank you for reading.

 _Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me._


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